Post written by Julia
Julia Pennell - Senior Lettings Negotiator
I was privileged enough recently to listen to a talk by the new president of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), Susan Fitz-Gibbon, which I found really inspiring.
She firstly talked about the growth & development within the industry & the fact that the government is bringing in an increasing amount of regulation. This is, however, good news that the industry is becoming more regulated and she encouraged us to embrace this & promote the good practice which ARLA has always used.
Being a member of ARLA has many benefits as it is now such a well established organisation of over 30 years. In the last 4 years the number of ARLA members has risen from just over 2,000 to now well over 6,000, making it a thriving organisation with a fantastic reputation. There is also a 95% retention rate for members, so agents have clearly found the association to ARLA very beneficial to their businesses. Certainly at Sewell & Gardner we cannot understand why other agencies do not join and become regulated. The training, the back-up, the on-going updates in this ever changing industry are not a luxury but a pure necessity and it is amazing how some agencies operate without qualified staff, client money insurance, regular updates and a friendly adviser at the end of the phone!
With an expected rental growth of 26.4% expected over the next 5 years it seems this is great news for letting agents. There are, however, still threats to our industry, with an increasing number of unregulated agencies appearing on the High Street & the general public’s lack of awareness of the dangers of using such agencies. It is therefore increasingly important that Tenants & Landlords realise the importance of using an ARLA agent and, more importantly, the dangers of NOT doing so! Almost every day you hear of another case where a tenant has been seriously injured or worse because a landlord has not taken the correct legal measures to ensure the tenant’s safety, and this is tragic for our industry, where often we are all tarred with the same brush!
ARLA is the market leader for letting agencies and it is important we promote it’s name in every way we can. As the industry grows it is really important that more & more lettings agencies become members of this fantastic organisation and Tenants & Landlords are aware that they should always use an ARLA agent to look after their property. BIG SHOUT OUT FOR ARLA, all the wonderful staff at Arbon House and all the very best of luck to our new president Susan.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog,
Julia Pennell, MARLA